Coordinator of Collection Management and Administrative Services University of South Carolina Upstate
A change in business librarian provided an opportunity to continue the evaluation of the library’s print (circulating and reference) collection at a regional comprehensive university. Consisting of approximately 10,000 items, the business print collection had never been evaluated. The previous business librarian began reviewing the collection but subsequently retired. The new business librarian and Coordinator of Collection Management were left to continue the process. During summer 2022, the first phase of books was pulled. After these titles were reviewed and removed, they discovered that a substantial number of outdated materials remained. As part of their plan to withdraw more titles, the decision was made to evaluate the library’s largely outdated 7,500 business e-book collection. Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the business school, located at a downtown campus approximately six miles from the University, enrolls 800 students in several undergraduate programs including business administration and economics and one graduate degree program in business analytics and does not contain a stand-alone business library. Additionally, a number of classes are offered online. Therefore, accessibility to electronic resources is critical. The project’s goals were to update the collection, fill-in gaps in coverage, and replace print with e-books. This poster will highlight the process, including criteria used, oddities found, such as titles too specialized or more appropriate for public libraries, and suggestions for other librarians who need to evaluate their own business collections.